Fountain-pen clasp.



K, EELGH. FOUNTAIN PEN CLASP.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 24, 1911. v

1,021,978. Patentd-Apr.2,1912.

O Attorneys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THEODORE K.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEODORE K. FELcH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Fountain-Pen Clasp, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to clasps, and more especially to those which are resilient and made of wire; and the object of the same is to produce a clasp adapted to engage the edge of the vest pocket and to hold detachably connected therewith a fountain pen. This object is accomplished by the construction described and claimed herein, and shown in the drawings wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of this clasp complete in my preferred form. Figs. 2 and 3 are side views of the cap of a fountain pen, each having mounted thereon one of my improved clasps and the latter differing slightly in detail. Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged cross sections on the line LA and 55 of Fig. 2, Fig. 4: showing the pen cap without and Fig. 5 showing it with the clasp around it. 7

Many forms of resilient clasps have hitherto been made with the intention of causing them to clamp or clasp the pen, or

pen cap which is usually round and smooth, one end of the clasp being deflected away from the article so that it can be sprung over the edge of the pocket. I find that the main difliculty'with devices of this character is that if their clamping action on the pen is sufliciently strong to hold the clasp against dislocation the surface of the pen will become indented, whereas if this clamping action is not sufficiently strong to indent the surface, the device will slip. Broadly speaking I overcome this objection by entering oneextremity of this clasp into a little depression in a hole into or through the wall of the pen or its cap, and by preference this entering point is the upper extremity of the clasp so that it will not interfere with the separable engagement of its lower extremity with the edge of the pocket.

Coming now more particularly to the.

present invention, my clasp in its preferred form as shown in Fig. 1 comprises a helix 5 composed of a few contacting, convolutions of wire which is preferably flattened slightly in its cross section as seen, one end of the helix being expanded or drawn out- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 2-4, 1911.

FELGH, or NEWARK; NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF T0 WIL- LIAM J. OSBORNE, or ASBUBY PaEK, NEW JERSEY.

. Patented. Apr. 2, 1912.

Serial No. 616,690.

ward into an open coil 6 which by preference makes at least one complete convolution, and the outer end of the coil being continued into an obliquely projecting arm 7 at the lower end of the clasp and whose lowermost extremity 8 is deflected outward away from the pen P and smooth on that face adjacent it. The other'end of the wire may-terminate abruptly within the helix 5 as seen in Fig.2 or may be deflected into a longitudinal arm 9 as seen in Fig. 3, but in either instance the extremity is directed straight inward toward what would be the .projected axis of the helix as at 10.

In Or through the wall of the pen or its cap is formed a socket 11 of a size to closely receive the extremity 10, and, as seen in Fig. 4, a groove 12 may lead into the outer end of the socket 11 in the direction from which the wire passes toward the socket so that the angle formed by the bent extremity 10 will not project appreciably if any beyond the contour of the article P and therefore cannot become caught on the clothing or hands of the wearer.

By employing the extremity 10 which is anchored within the socket 11 of the cap, the helix 5 encircling the pen cap, so that the spring terminal or arm 7 with the extremity 8 is normally held tightly or closely against and in contact with the pen cap, it is evident that the insertion of the pocket edge between such extremity 8 and the cap will tend to unwind the helix 5 and the open coil 6, so that a gripping tension will be given the terminal or extremity 8 upon the outer edge of the pocket when the pen cap is within the pocket. By anchoring the bent extremity 10 within the socket of the pen cap, the helix 5 at that portion is prevented I through the medium of the projecting arm 7 and its extremity 8.

This clasp is applied to the article by uncoiling it slightly so as to enlarge its bore, slipping it over the pen until the extremity 10 is opposite the socket 11, andthen releasing the wire so that it will re-coil itself around the article and the extremity will enter the socket and fit neatly therein. Thereafter the pen is used in the customary manner, and when the user desires to place it in his pocket he does so with the point down and the outturned extremity 8 passes over the edge of the pocket. Thereafter he gives the entire article and clasp a rotation or screw action in a proper direction to cause the arm 7 and extremity 8 to pass over the edge of the pocket and hold the same tightly bet-ween said extremity and the pen P. In order to remove it from position, all that is necessary is to give a little twitch or unscrew it in a reverse direction. The material of which this device is made is preferably metal, and the choice of metal may safely be left to the manufacturer. Also its size and ornamentation.

hat is claimed is:

The combination with a pen cap provided with a socket in one wall thereof, of a pocket edge engaging clip carried by the cap and comprising a plurality of spring coils having one terminal normally tensioned toward the cap and having its end seated within the socket of the cap, the other terminal constituting a spaced coil forming a spiral terminating in a pocket edge engaging extremity, said extremitybeing normally tensioned toward the cap; whereby the insertion of the pocket edge between the cap and pocket edge engaging terminal at the extremity of the clip exerts a tension to unwind the spiral and coils against the anchoring of the other terminal within the socket of the cap to cause the pocket edge to be compressed between the engaging extremity and the cap.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THEODORE K. FELCH.

l/Vitnesses:

M. J. MoKnoN, H; CL HERSI-IFIELD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for. five centseach, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

- Washington, I). 0. 

